Jenova's Witness
by Ninja Mage
Summary: He had no idea Jenova was inside him. She sat dormant for almost 20 years, waiting for the opportune moment... When Shinra finds out, they'll stop at nothing to get hold of him. But he's not going to go quietly... RudeTifa, rating might change later
1. Flashback

--sings-- And so I'm back! From outer space! --stops-- Okay not really… So sorry for the delay in my writings people! Since September I've had a lot of work to do for school and have had no inspiration. I have at least some of that again, so I'm putting it to good use! Unfortunately, it's inspiration for another new story… I promise to continue _Angel's Child_. But for now, enjoy this new fiction brought to you by yours truly. And since I can't fit all of this on the summary on the listings page, here's a full description:

During the Meteor Crisis, Hojo was killed. Through the following years, his Jenova experiments were thought to have been gradually, but completely, wiped out. But two survived, as the remnants of the Shinra Company and the Turks find out ten years after Hojo's death. One experiment, left for dead two years after Meteor, has gone into hiding and cannot be found. But one was secretly used as a test subject… not even he knew Jenova was inside him; and it's one of Shinra's own, the last any employee would ever have expected… including him and his wife. Shinra attempts to "hide him" from the other experiment, to prevent another coming of Sephiroth… this is where things go terribly wrong…

This is heavily inspired by role-playing with my boyfriend Shaun and best friends Soul Vagabond and Jo; at least the character in particular that has Jenova in him is inspired. Also, you will see many connections to my other fiction _Angel's Child_ in relation to this man's past; but I'm not telling who the guy is until chapter two mwahaha! But if you're smart you'll figure it out. I also give Soul Vagabond credit to the creation of the character Sierran, who will be featured only briefly; though she has been altered some to fit the FF7 world, she is still copyright of Soul Vagabond **not me**. I also give thanks to my good friend Alex for helping me work out a few bugs in this fiction's plot and course, and for editing. And of course, thank you Square-Enix for creating the FF games in the first place.

**A/N:** This fiction **_does not_** follow _Advent Children_, _Before Crisis_, or _Dirge of Cerberus_ exactly. I have yet to see AC since I am a good, law-abiding citizen and am patiently waiting for the US release; I live in the US and not Japan nor do I have a cell phone, so I don't care about BC much; and DC has not come out in the US yet and I refuse to (purposely) read any possible spoilers since I want a fresh start on the game for once. And since I have yet to see/play any of these, I would appreciate if you do not flame me for not following them and please do not correct me. If you correct me (a.k.a. give spoilers that I don't use in here already), I shall smite you.

**A/N:** Last note I promise! Sorry this is so long. --sweat-- To avoid confusion, this is what I'm doing: I'm going to post the first chapter as a flashback told in the **first-person point of view**. In other words, chapter one will cover the main character's past life as he saw it. From chapter two onwards, it will be told from the **third person point of view**. That is to say, in a narrative way with no "I, you, me, we, etc" with the exception of dialogue. Also, the more important/memorable parts have the most detail. I'm awaiting my editor's notes so I might be replacing this chapter with one that's better edited; I'll put a message on the front of these Notes if I change it so keep an eye out if it's not there by the time I post chapter 2, then I didn't edit. And now, since I've taken up almost 1 whole page in Word with notes… Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Flashbacks**

_Growing up, I remember that it was rare I could have fun… I could never afford to see a movie or go to dinner with friends unless they paid. Even then, it was rare I had time. I was almost always at school during the day, working the evenings, and then sleeping at night. Since I needed to work to support our family, I remember being allowed a leave of absence from school an hour before the rest of the students were allowed to leave. Everyday that I would pack my things, I received two kinds of stares… One was from those who were jealous; they were the ones who either didn't care or truly didn't know that we were struggling, they only envied that I was leaving school before them. But I hated the other set of stares more… those were the stares from those who knew exactly what was going on, those who pitied me for living in poverty. Humph… if they pitied me so much, why didn't they help me out, give a little money or food to help out? Why did they merely stare as I prepared to leave…? Looking back now, I can't help but wonder if they had helped me, would things have turned out differently… it doesn't matter anymore though. They all died ten years ago when Meteor struck… but that comes later._

_I suppose the worst part of my childhood was when I was fifteen. I had gone for a walk… it was a beautiful day out (well, as beautiful as the slums could get), but there was a scent of rain approaching, rain that would never reach the ground I was walking on, the dirt of the Midgar slums. Anyway, my little brother Bao, seven years younger than I, was being a pain in my ass as usual. I managed to slip out of the house one day when I had no work. He didn't notice until I was a good distance away. When I returned a few hours later, I found him crying on the front step. When I asked what was wrong, he said,_

_"I wanted to go with you. I wanted to take a walk, too. When I left, I heard mommy scream… I came back and I looked in the window… m-mommy and daddy are dead!"_

_I couldn't believe it so I went in to see for myself… My black father was lying on the floor with his throat cut… And my white mother was rather blue in the face; from the cuts on her neck, I think she was strangled. I left the house and asked who did it. Bao couldn't answer; he hadn't seen the man's face. Then I ran… I got as far as I could as fast as I could. Bao caught up to me… but I pushed him down. I pushed him to the ground and kept going, never looking back until I got to the outer fence of the slums… I remember it was indeed starting to rain outside of the city. At the fence… I broke down and cried. I don't know how long I was there, but I cried until a guard walked past and told me I had to step back unless I was going to leave the city._

_I lived on the streets for a few days before I saw anyone I recognized, amazingly. I saw Bao walking to school one day. I approached him, but he gave me a hateful look. He told me he was in a foster home… that the Turks were searching for me to put me in one. I tried to apologize, to make him forgive me… the last thing he said was, "You promised mom and dad you'd look out for me… you promised to protect me. You broke your promise to our parents. I hate you." Then he ran off to school. Later that day, I made my decision… I let the Turks catch up to me, but instead of going to a home, I told them I wanted to join. They agreed… and took me to their training hall. I started a week later as a gunman trainee. I was going to track down the bastard that killed my parents… the bastard that tore my family apart. I was going to track him down… and kill him._

_Three years passed as a trainee… and it was in three years that I failed everything I was taught. I just didn't have what it took… but the Turks saw promise in me. So they switched me to hand-to-hand combat in my fourth year. It was then that I met Reno. It was then that we were stuck in a dorm together, and found immediately that we loathed one another. Fortunately, I excelled in this course. I passed my first year with flying colors, as did this Reno guy._

_I suppose I should discuss Reno a bit… I remember when I saw him, I was rather skeptical of his abilities and who he said he was. For one thing, he was a real smart-ass; for another, he had one red crescent under each eye. I was amazed that he was allowed in, for I knew that tattoos under one's eyes signified that he or she was not straight. I also knew that Shinra did not want any gay or bi men or women among the ranks; why this was so I'll never know, but those were the rules. Despite accusations that he was bi or gay, Reno swore that he merely liked how the tattoos looked. To my amazement, Shinra bought the story._

_It was the middle of the second year we were Turk trainees together. I was studying in our room when I heard Reno arguing with someone outside. I took a glance and saw a man with a resemblance to Reno yelling at him. They were yelling back and forth, the entire compound heard… The man was accusing Reno of being gay, and he wanted Reno to leave the Turks. The man swung his fist at Reno, but he dodged and punched back. After the other man left, I waited for Reno to come inside. When he did come, I asked him what happened. The man had been Reno's father, Kalm's local drunk as it were. It turns out, Reno _was _bisexual after all. He joined the Turks after his father caught him starting to get rather intimate with his boyfriend. His father beat him nearly everyday and killed his mother from an extremely violent beating almost ten years before (this was never investigated as both Reno's parents claimed she fell down the stairs); he nearly killed Reno the day that he found him in bed with his boyfriend, as he was apparently against anyone who wasn't perfectly straight. I gave Reno some advice and, against my better judgment, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to talk to. I guess it was this incident that led us to become friends, though we didn't become close for another year and a half._

_It was about seven months after Reno's father came that we were fully initiated as Turks. And it was at the initiation party in the Seventh Heaven bar that I met the most beautiful woman I had ever seen…Her name was Sierran. She had black hair and the most beautiful red eyes… Every time I saw her, she wore a deep red shirt, blue jeans, and a vest of violet and gold. When we met, she was an entertainer. She performed magic tricks and told us our fortunes, what would happen to us later. When I spoke to her about my future, she said that I would soon fall in love with someone I could not be with… and if I pursued that love, I would lose it in the harshest and most painful way possible. But I refused to heed her warning; I waited until she was leaving and I walked with her for a while. I saw her a few more times. Hells… the third time we saw each other, I managed to work up the nerve to kiss her… It's one of only a few sensations I will never forget. That… and the last two times we saw each other._

_We were dating secretly for months. It was almost one year when we slept together… I met her in the slums outside my old house. I took her to the Shinra tower, and snuck her in through the back staircase, which I thought was never monitored. I took her to the roof and we sat up there, watching the stars. We went down to my room a few hours later, since Reno and I didn't share a dorm anymore, and we made love… and it was that night I told her why I joined the Turks, and that the minute I quit I intended to marry her. She only smiled and said that if we were still together when I quit, she would graciously accept._

_The next night we had another date… but she never showed up. I waited until late that night but I never saw her. The next morning, all Turks and Shinra personnel were called down to the shooting range. The president called me forward, and handed me a pistol. He pointed at the end of the range and told me to shoot the target. I had raised my gun, but before I pulled the trigger I heard my name come from the target. It was Sierran… Somehow Shinra found out… somehow they got to her. I looked at the president and refused to follow through._

_"You need to learn a lesson. You know we have rules about having intimate relationships. Prove your worth as a Turk. Shoot her. That's an order."_

_But I still refused… it wasn't until the president threatened to kill her, my brother, and myself that I agreed… but it wasn't even that. As he threatened this, I watched a guard throw her to the ground and start to beat her. I fired at the guard… but my gunman skills had not improved. I missed him… and I hit her in the chest. I walked up to her numbly, and very faintly heard the president tell me to finish it. I told her I was sorry and I loved her, then I shot her in the head…when the president took his gun back, I retired to my room. Reno couldn't even sway me to leave._

_It wasn't until a week had gone by, and I was given a mission, that I left… it wasn't until I got the mission I had wanted since I joined that I was able to find the strength to come out and perform my duties. I had been put on the team that would track down a serial killer who for years had been targeting interracial couples. The only negative part about it was that Reno was my primary partner._

_Reno and I researched the information on the case for almost two months. We finally had enough information to track him down. Shinra wanted him alive to send him to trial. But I was out for blood. I wasn't going to take him prisoner. The moment I saw him, I was going to kill him. Reno and I got the information, and when the rest of our team went off-duty, we set off in my helicopter. We found him just past the swamp, on the way to Fort Condor to seek refuge. But we managed to stop him. Unfortunately… when we injured him enough to stop… we recognized him as Reno's father. We questioned him just to make sure we had the right man, but I knew immediately that we did. I held my gun to his head, to insure that I would not miss, and asked Reno if he wanted me to kill him. In that moment, I knew how brave Reno really was… I saw what kind of Turk material he had, and I saw great promise in him… I must admit... it scared me. It scared me… to see the look on his face. The coldness in his eyes and the stillness in his face when I asked permission to kill his father… he hesitated only long enough to stare his father in the eye, to let his eyes say to his father "I hate you bastard… you've deserved this for a long time." Then without further hesitation, he said, without breaking eye contact, "Kill him." As he walked back to the helicopter, his father pleaded with me to let him live… he shouted curses at Reno's retreating back. But I did not sway. I shot him between the eyes. He didn't even scream._

_It was only after his body fell limp that I saw the active grenade in his hand. I only managed to get a couple of feet farther back before it went off… it was a homemade grenade, so my body was bombarded with pieces of metal that would not have been there otherwise. The blast swept me off my feet, throwing me hard to the ground. My glasses shattered… I felt blood on my face, and one of my eyes still has a tiny scar from where a small piece of my glasses scratched it. Reno came to my side and radioed for help. But I begged him to leave… I had done what I joined the Turks to do, and as much as I wanted to find Bao and gain his forgiveness… I was ready to die. Reno kept talking to me though, and as soon as a medical helicopter was within my hearing range, everything else went black…_

_This is where my past becomes clouded…I don't remember waking up until a good two months went by. But… my body was completely healed. The scars were very faint. And my muscles… as much as I expected them to have atrophied, they were even stronger than they had been before I was injured. I had no trouble getting up and walking; I was even able to do pushups and pull-ups and running the next day. At the time, I did not think too much about it. I felt lucky…but at that time, I was still unaware as to the kind of man my doctor was… Dr. Hojo._

_Though I must say, I got a pleasant surprise. Reno, it seems, had barely left me while I was bedridden. He told me there were periods of time each day that I was not allowed visitors, but I didn't care. I had a friend, my first since I had joined the Turks. When he told me he'd watched over me, I felt that I could trust him. Over the next few weeks, we were barely apart; we learned every little detail about each other's lives. To this day, I've never been so close to anyone except perhaps my wife… but there are times I doubt I am even so close to her._

_Two weeks after I awoke, I approached the president's desk. I laid my resignation on his desk, placed my badge and my gun and my taser next to it, and turned to go. But I stopped when he asked if I really wanted to quit. When I said I did, he sighed and shook his head. He told me that if I really wanted to quit, they would have to execute me, as I knew too much about the company. I didn't care; I just wanted out… but then he said Bao would be killed, too. He said that they couldn't take a chance that I told my brother what I knew. I begged and pleaded with him to change his mind, to kill only me, but he stood firm. Hojo caught my eye in the room as I gave in to the president and gathered my things, ripped up my resignation. Hojo approached the president as I left. I heard him say, "You made a good choice. The man is very attached to his brother, excellent rouse, sir. Besides, after what I did to him, I do not wish to lose him."_

_I never got a chance to ask Hojo what he meant. After that day, I was put on assignment to follow the actions of a new terrorist group called AVALANCHE. I went on to work against them for another three years. Then when I was twenty-four years old, I felt my first hint of fear that I had since my parents died… that fear came from another bout of love. Fortunately, this love ended better than my love for Sierran…_

_Nine years after I joined the Turks, the small town of Nibelheim was the topic of great excitement. To start, monsters had been seen coming from the Mako Reactor in the mountains. A group of SOLDIERs, led by General Sephiroth, were dispatched to dispose of them. Only a few days after they left, a group of us Turks were assigned to go to Nibelheim. When we got there, the entire city was in flames. I learned later that Sephiroth had found out he was the Jenova Project, and went mad as a result. We split up; a small group went to the Reactor while the rest surrounded the town._

_I was working alone that night, and I'm glad I was. I looked up and turned from the town as I heard someone walking down from the reactor. I ran up to the hunched man and told him that all survivors were to come with the Turks for questioning. Then he turned… He was an older man, whose name I learned later was Zangan, and he was a martial arts sensei. But I didn't pay attention to him. Over his shoulder was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen since Sierran… looking back now, this girl was even lovelier than Sierran was. Her hair was long and dark brown, and her skin was fair. She was wearing a white shirt and a vest, skirt, and boots that were all a matching brown color. As Zangan pleaded with me to let him go to Midgar to get her fixed up, I saw why she needed a doctor; her stomach had been sliced open. I watched her blood fall to the ground. I finally told him to be silent. I laid her on the ground, and inspected her injury. It was deep… I didn't need to ask what happened to know that Sephiroth's sword had done it; I had seen his handiwork before. I looked up at Zangan, and I told him to leave her with me. I got him to trust me to take her to Midgar and get her to a doctor. As I told him this, the girl opened her eyes. And as I looked into the dark brown orbs, I became obsessed with her. She stared at me a moment, then tried to get up. She threw a punch at me, but I easily grabbed her soft, gentle hand._

_"You're a Turk… You work for Shinra, it's all Shinra's fault that my father is dead and my town destroyed… Fucking bastards…" she muttered at me. Still she tried to get up. I reasoned with her the best I could, doing my best to gain her trust. "Why should I trust you? Shinra has done nothing to help me or my friends… you got Zack and Cloud ki-" I never let her finish the sentence. I planted my lips gently to hers and held her hands tightly to keep her from thrashing around. When I kissed her, she went very still. I took care to hold it a long moment. When I pulled away, she opened her eyes again (they seemed to have closed during the kiss) and stared. I told her that if I didn't want to help, I would not have kissed her. I told her my name, and she gave me hers: Tifa Lockhart. She thanked me, and took something from her neck. She laid it in my hand and fainted again. I pocketed the item without another thought and took her to my helicopter; by this time, the others were leaving. I was off-duty after the mission, so I took her to my old home. I cleaned the house, patched her up, and hid her there. When I got her comfortable, I looked at the item she gave me. It was a gold necklace with an opal pendant. Her name was inscribed in it… I put it around my neck and to this day refuse to remove it, despite my attempts to return it to her (she refuses each time I try)._

_Zangan never came to us, despite the promise he made that he would come back for her once he got the chance. I suspect he might have gotten captured or even killed… But at any rate, Tifa took a couple of days to wake. I kept her fed and warm, and took care of her the best I could. It took nearly one month for her to be able to walk properly again… In that month, we became close… we told each other everything. Except me… I told her nothing about my parents being interracial, or what I knew of Shinra, or even Sierran. Now that I look back, I wonder why I didn't leave the Turks then, it would have been so easy… but I did not. And I wonder now if I had left the Turks then, would my life have turned out as good as it is now…?_

_She remained at my old house for nearly six months total. It was at the end of the sixth month that I finally found Tifa a job. I got her a job as a waitress in the Seventh Heaven bar, and told her that until she could find a better home, she could use my old one. She thanked me and gave me a long, gentle kiss for my trouble. I don't think my blushing went away for two weeks. During my six months with her, I was able to retrieve a large number of my family pictures and personal belongings. I was lucky my house never got ransacked… As for Tifa, after she left to work at Seventh Heaven I rarely saw her again. I was able to stop in every so often for a few drinks, but it was hard to find the time… It was another five years before we were together again, if only for a few minutes._

_Five years after I met Tifa, Sephiroth returned. He killed the president of Shinra; his son Rufus took over. During that year Reno destroyed the Sector 7 slums in which I had grown up (he dropped the Midgar plate on it), Aeris the last Ancient was killed, Tseng and Rufus were almost killed, and my love for Tifa grew stronger. I fought her during those long, though few, months. Though I thought of Tifa often, I could not help but feel a pull towards someone else… When Shinra asked for volunteers to go after Sephiroth, I did not hesitate to add myself to the ranks. I felt… attracted to a point. Whether it was an attraction towards killing Sephiroth, allying myself with him, or inadvertently committing suicide, I'll never know. I take it back… I know now. But that comes later… much later. Anyway, as Sephiroth fought against us, he summoned a Meteor. We tried to destroy it… and we failed. It hit Midgar, obliterated it. But shortly before it did, I got a call on my cell phone… the reception was awful. But I could make out a little of the voice… "It… Bao… forgive… brother…" After that the other phone was cut off. I was wrought with disbelief… It couldn't have been my brother. But I had no more time to think about it; Rufus had been injured by the Sister Ray cannon's attack on Diamond Weapon, and he needed my assistance. As we doctored him, Meteor hit Midgar. I looked out the window and watched as a wave of green light overpowered it; I found out later from Tifa that it was Holy, that Aeris had summoned it before she died. When it was over, Reno, Elena, and I went into Midgar to find survivors. I went to my old house one last time… and lying on the ground I saw my brother. He was under a pile of rubble… there was a large puddle of blood under him. But he was still alive… I knelt by him slowly and tried to help him but I was unable… He managed a smile when he saw me._

_"Hey… you know… you looked better with hair," he laughed. I had started going bald several years before, sometime during my training. Premature balding is a curse in my family. But I don't complain about it, I think I look like an idiot with hair anyway. I laughed at what he said. He was already very thin himself and I pointed it out to him. We sat laughing at each other for a long time… it felt so natural to be with him, to be brothers again. Finally, as he was barely alive anymore, he started crying. I held him, and apologized. He told me he had forgiven me long ago, that it was in the past. But it wasn't until recently that he was able to contact me. I told him our parent's killer was dead, which put another smile on his face. Bao let me hold him… and with his last breath said, "I love you… goodbye." I said the same back to him, and held his body for a long time. I don't remember crying, but when Reno came to get me to leave, my face was heavily stained, as was my brother's face from the tears I shed. I buried him outside the city, where my parents were laid to rest. I still go to see them five times a year: once on each birthday, and once for each death day._

_Two years went by quietly, but then all hell broke loose. Three of Sephiroth's clones had lived through Meteor, and they wanted him back. A disease called Geostigma also broke out among people with Jenova or Mako inside them. Cloud had it, as did many children. For a while, Reno, Rufus, and I were afraid we would get it; after all, Shinra employees were given Mako injections to make them crueler, more able to do their jobs. But we never got it. At least, Reno and Rufus didn't. I had one of the mildest cases. Had I not seen a doctor to diagnose it, I would not have guessed that I was inflicted. But it went away quickly, and the clones were all killed. Unfortunately I cannot give all of the details… Cloud was involved more than the Turks were. I should ask him later about it…_

_A few months after the clones were destroyed, Reno, Rufus, and I went to Wutai for the Leviathan Festival. We felt that we deserved a break. While we were there, we bumped into what remained of AVALANCHE: Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Nanaki, Vincent Valentine, Yuffie Kisaragi, Marlene Wallace, Denzel Lockhart (Tifa adopted him after the crisis; he was one of the children inflicted with Geostigma), Cid and Shera Highwind (who were preparing to have a baby it turns out), and Tifa Lockhart. When I saw her, I literally froze in my tracks. I had never seen her like she was then. Her hair was in a bun, and she was wearing a white silk kimono. I swear to the gods she looked like an angel… We talked for a few minutes, and then our groups went separate ways. Later that night, I took a walk to see Tifa. As I walked, I saw her sitting with Cloud. She was speaking to him quietly. He said something in return, and stroked her face. I stopped and watched silently as she took his hand away. Tifa was biting her lip and staring at the ground. Cloud lowered his face, too, and closed his eyes, speaking in a low voice. She only shook her head and smiled, but I could tell it was forced. As Cloud stood, she grabbed his arm and said something else. He smiled and nodded, then kissed her slowly. He walked back to the hotel and left Tifa sitting there. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingertips. As I walked up, I saw she was crying. So I sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. She jumped, but smiled a little when she saw that it was me. Tifa laid her head on my chest and told me what had happened. She had told Cloud that she loved him, but he didn't return it. He was still too attached to Aeris, and had no feelings stronger than friendship towards Tifa. I let her tell me everything, and cry as much as she needed to. Then I made her look at me. I even took my sunglasses off, so I could look her in the eye better. I told her that I loved her with all my heart… and I kissed her again. I don't know how long the kiss lasted; seconds, or minutes, or maybe hours. But it's another sensation, one of many that I've had with Tifa, that I will never, ever forget._

_After that night, we saw each other several times. I took her to dinner, or a concert, or a movie. And for three months we dated that way. After three months, she asked to stay with me for a night. Tifa said that her house was being exterminated, but she later admitted that she just wanted to be with me. When she came over, we made out… and got more intimate. When we got into my bed, she told me she loved me… that when we first dated, she wasn't sure if she could. But she told me she loved me and that was enough. And when she said that, I finally told her about Sierran and my interracial background. I told her that if after knowing that she didn't love me, I would understand. She kissed me deeply again, and said, "Do you know what's changed between when I said 'I love you' and now? Not a damn thing…" And we had sex… more amazing than what I'd had before. Before she fell asleep I held her in my arms, close to me as I could get her. I whispered into her ear, asked her something I wanted to know for years… and I smiled widely when she looked up at me with a sleepy smile, kissed me, and said "yes."_


	2. Daily Routine

Okay, this chapter doesn't seem very exciting. For the most part, it's just to introduce you to some of the characters 8 years after AC.

Probably starting next chapter will be really getting into the plot. In the meantime, I have a question to ask:

Who's the bad guy in this? Is it Jenova? Shinra? Rude himself, perhaps? Denzel?

I know it's a bit early. But I'm curious as to what you guys think. I know who it is (duh), but I don't know if it's who you guys suspect, or if I should make another baddie.

Also, I'm going to try to only update every 2-4 weeks unless there's a MAJOR part coming up. In addition, if you want to see a small "poster" of the9 main characters (Rude, Tifa, Jenova, Denzel, Reno, and Marlene), go to my deviantart page (in my profile) and find my deviation called "Jenova's Witness -- Basic Cast." Should be the 2nd one listed under "Recent" if you're going there before Chapter 3 comes out.

So, enjoy a day in the life of Rude and Tifa's family.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Daily Routine**

Rude flinched slightly in his sleep. A short moment later, his dull brown eyes opened slowly. The sun was shining through the window onto his face, making him shut his eyes halfway again. His eyes turned to the alarm clock. It was nearly noon, but instead of crawling out of bed, Rude rolled onto his side, wrapped up tighter under the quilt, and sighed softly, reaching a hand to his shoulder and massaging the tension away. He had been gone for a week running an errand with Reno. They finished two nights ago, but it had taken him another day to write his report for Rufus. By the time Rude had come home at 2 in the morning, everyone else was already fast asleep. He didn't mind though; it gave him a chance to watch something other than educational kid's shows and the news, and he was able to snag a bowl of ice cream before everyone else got to it. But now, he lay in bed and tried to shut the sun from his mind. He was still tired despite the time of day.

Just as he was slipping back into sleep, one eye snapped open. He listened closely to the voices behind him. A small smile played across his lips as he listened to the floorboards creak under the intruder's footsteps, and the smile widened at the little gasps that escaped with each creak. As they got closer, Rude made sure not to move. His eye shut again, and he did his best to indiscreetly hide the grin. It wasn't until he felt the bed sink a little behind him and a small hand shaking him that he made his move.

"Is he awake?" a boy whispered.

"I don't think so," replied the girl who was kneeling beside Rude. She laid a hand on his shoulder and shook. A moment later, both children found the quilt wrapped over them and Rude pinning them down.

"It's not nice to sneak up on someone when they're sleeping!" Rude laughed. The two children shrieked then began giggling hysterically.

"Mommy! Daddy's crushing us again!" screeched the two kids through the laughter. Their laughing got worse when their heads finally emerged from the blankets and Rude began tickling them. "Get off, daddy! Ha ha! Stop!"

"You two need some help?" their mother smiled from the doorway. They nodded, being unable to speak through their breathless laughs. She walked over to the bed and ran her fingertips over Rude's bare spine. He shivered at the touched and reached around to grab her wrist.

"Tifa! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and tickle wars," Tifa giggled. She smiled at the two kids. "You two get your butts downstairs and eat your lunch. I've already got it on the table."

"Aw mom! We wanted to say hi to dad!" the little girl whined. Rude smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

"You already did. Now go eat your lunch like mom told you."

And with that, the two children were racing down to the kitchen. Instead of following them, Rude yawned and laid back down. Tifa smiled at him warmly and kissed his cheek.

"You must have gotten in pretty late last night. I don't remember you coming to bed."

"I got home around two, didn't come to bed until three or f-four," he replied, stuttering slightly through another large yawn. Unfortunately, the yawn was not loud enough to cover a low growl from his stomach. Tifa smiled and pulled him back up.

"Come get something to eat, you sound like you're starving."

"No, I'm fine. I would rather sleep than eat right now."

"Come _on_, Rude, you need to eat," Tifa urged further. She grabbed his wrist and tried to drag him out of bed. Unfortunately, he was much stronger then she was. With a turn of his wrist, Rude grabbed Tifa instead and pulled her back down next to him. He looked at her and smiled a moment, then stroked her face and kissed her, holding it a long moment.

"I missed you while I was gone…" he whispered. Tifa nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you, too. Bao and Aeris were bored out of their minds missing you," she laughed a little.

"What about Denzel? I didn't see him trying to help the kids like he usually does," pointed out Rude. Tifa bit her lip slightly and paused.

"Actually, I don't know what's wrong with him. He's been quieter than usual and all he seems to want to do is read," replied Tifa as she sat up.

"There's nothing wrong with that," shrugged her husband. He stood and started changing.

"I know it's probably nothing… I've always been maternal, especially since Aeris was born. I'm probably looking too much into it."

"Don't worry about it until you find out that he's plotting to take over the world," Rude smiled. Her hugged her tightly before heading to the kitchen downstairs. He smiled as he walked through the kitchen door. The two children were eating at the breakfast table, each with a sandwich in front of them. Rude hesitated to enter further. It was a picture he had imagined for years. A moment later, Tifa was slipping into the kitchen and working. It was then that he noticed someone was missing…

"Where's Denzel?"

"Good question… Oh! He's outside reading," Tifa explained, looking out the window.

"He's always outside with a book!" the little girl at the table yelled. Tifa tapped her on the head, being gentle yet scolding.

"That's not a bad thing, Aeris. You could learn a thing or two. I'd love to see you with a book every so often."

Rude smiled at them. As Tifa moved away, five-year-old Aeris Elena locked eyes with him and smiled. She looked almost exactly like Tifa: dark brown hair and brown eyes. He often found himself hoping her looks would change later in life. If she got to look too much like Tifa, Rude thought he might get even more overprotective of her than he already was, thought that maybe he would get so attached to her he would hinder her chances at being independent, make her want to stay at home under his protection. Aeris' gaze lingered with his a moment, then she turned back to her sandwich.

The little three-year-old boy across the table from her almost always made Rude's heart break. Bao Zack looked almost exactly like his namesake, with brown-almost-black eyes, short black hair and long bangs. Rude never cared for the hairstyle, but Bao saw a picture of his uncle and was adamant about getting the same cut the last time they went. At the moment, the child had a face covered in peanut butter. Laughing, Rude got a wet napkin and helped him clean up, then finally got a cup of coffee.

As he drank, his gaze turned to Denzel outside. Over the past seven years that Rude and Tifa had been married, Denzel had turned into both a little brother and a son for the man. The teenager had changed over the years though. Rude could remember first meeting him when Geostigma broke out. Back then, Denzel was heavily freckle-faced and had very curly hair. As he matured, most of his freckles had faded, and his hair had straightened dramatically. One thing had not changed though: the young man's love for Marlene Wallace. They wrote letters to each other everyday, and talked on the phone at least once a week.

As Rude reflected on his current life and the past few years, his dreams entered his mind once again, the memories of his past. But further dreams entered as well. Not only was his past intruding, but things yet to come. Rude found himself biting his lip slightly as the image of Reno being shot in the shoulder and falling off of the new Shinra tower came forth. He shuddered slightly; like many of his dreams, this one seemed too realistic to be a mere dream. Anything that was not past nearly always came true eventually. But the image of Reno had been recurring… For the past month, Rude was doing everything he could to keep his friend off of the roof of that building. Something must have translated to his face, because he jumped when Tifa laid a hand upon his shoulder and gave him a concerned look.

"Rude, are you ok? You're looking awfully worried lately," she pointed out. Tifa lowered her voice so the children would not overhear. "Is it one of your dreams again? Did you see something last night?"

"Not last night… last night I dreamt of my past for once. But I've been having a dream lately…" Rude quietly told her what he had been seeing in his dreams. She gave him a worried look.

"Denzel had the same dream while you were gone. You don't think he'll actually…?"

"No I don't. I kept my eyes on Reno the whole time. It's highly unlikely it will happen."

"It still concerns me. What are the chances of both of you having the same dreams?" she wondered aloud as the phone rang. She picked it up and her face immediately went from gloomy to thrilled. Rude smiled and drained his cup. He didn't need to ask her to know that either Cloud or Barret was on the other line; it was rare that she smiled for anyone else's call. Indeed, Tifa hung up a few minutes later and turned to Aeris and Bao.

"Momma who was that?" Aeris asked her.

"That was Uncle Barret. You two go get your rooms cleaned up, he and Marlene are going to come visit tomorrow," replied their mother. Both children cheered and hugged her tightly. Aeris was highly fond of Marlene and always did her best to please her. Bao, on the other hand, was too young to remember her. However, the rest of the family spoke so highly of her that he was excited to finally meet Marlene Wallace.

"It's Marlene's birthday tomorrow, right?" Rude asked as the two children hurried to their rooms. Tifa nodded.

"She'll be fourteen, can you believe it?"

"Of course, considering I didn't really get to know her until she was six or seven. It's our own kids I can't believe," he smiled. "I mean, it feels like it was yesterday when you were telling me you were pregnant with Aeris."

"Well don't expect anymore anytime soon, I've got my hands full as it is," Tifa smiled back, cleaning up lunch. "Oh and Rude, don't say anything to Denzel. Marlene wants to surprise him."

"I can imagine. It's been a couple of years since they came out here."

"Can you blame them? I mean, this is Gongaga. Corel isn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away."

"If they wanted to come out here, I could take my helicopter and get them, we'd be back in less than two hours," Rude pointed out, a hint of confidence in his voice. Tifa punched him teasingly in the arm. He grabbed where she hit him and yelled, "Hey!"

"Braggart," Tifa grinned. "Always bragging about how fast your helicopter is, about how you're the best helicopter pilot Shinra's ever seen. But need I remind you that the last time you raced Cid he beat you by five minutes?"

"He cheated. He changed the distance at the last minute, I slowed down where he said the end was then he blew past me."

"Excuses, excuses," she giggled. A shriek and laugh escaped her lips when he grabbed her around the middle and swung her around.

"What was that?" Rude chuckled. Tifa hugged him tightly.

"Nothing at all," she grinned, looking up at him. They kissed again slowly, holding each other close.

"Why don't you learn to get a room once in awhile?" Denzel wondered rather loudly, walking past them with the slightest glance. Tifa pulled away from Rude and stuck her tongue out at him, resulting in the teenager's soft chuckle.

"You're just jealous you don't have someone like Tifa," Rude teased. Denzel shook his head.

"And I don't want someone like Tifa. Besides I have a girl."

"Oh really? Who?" Tifa pressed. Rude was the one to answer

"Marlene, remember? The girl he always hangs around, won't leave alone, wants to drag to his room an-"

"Okay okay we get it!" Denzel yelled, flinging his hand towards Rude. The elder man suddenly found his voice stuck in his throat, to which he glowered at Denzel and swung his hand out in return. Denzel found himself floating upside down a moment later. "Ack! Okay! I'll take it off!" And with another sweep of his hand, Rude coughed to loosen his throat again.

"You're getting good at sneak attacks. But you need to learn to protect yourself from your opponent's retaliation."

"I'm practicing, don't worry. It'd help if you gave me a chance once in awhile."

"Your opponent won't give you a chance on the field."

"Okay, okay, I'll practice more. Um… can I get down now?" Denzel inquired. Rude grinned then dropped his hand. Denzel promptly started falling, but before his head hit the floor, he managed a flip and landed on his feet. "You think Bao or Aeris will be able to do this sort of telekinetic stuff?"

"They might," Rude shrugged. "I have no idea if it's hereditary, but I don't remember my parents or brother being able to do it."

"But you can't remember having anything done to you while you worked for Shinra, right? So it must be hereditary," Tifa pointed out.

"Besides, some genes skip generations," Denzel added. Rude shrugged again.

"I guess we'll just wait and find out. Oh, and Denzel you need to get your room cleaned up. We've got company coming tomorrow."

"Oh. Okay I'll get to it," Denzel muttered. He sighed a little, headed for his room, and under his breath muttered, "I'd be more thrilled if Marlene was coming for once…"

"So what were you so busy doing this past week?" Tifa asked her husband. Rude smiled at her, a little pained.

"You know I can't tell you that. Just being married to me is risky enough, if I tell you anything I do that risk just builds up. I don't want to do anything to hurt you or our kids."

"I know. But you can't blame me for trying."

"I promise, the minute I'm able to sneak out of there I'll tell you everything," Rude assured her. Tifa smiled and hugged him again.

"I know you will. But until then… it scares me when I don't know what you're up to."

"It scares me too," he replied, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"Why does it scare you? You're the one there, you know what's happening…"

"But I don't know how things _here_ are. There are many men and women out there who want to get back at Shinra and the Turks for what we've done… Everyday I'm not here I fear for all of you that are. I'm always afraid that I'll come back to find you all dead or the house burned down or something."

"But we have the plan, right? As long as we follow it we should be fine," Tifa whispered, resting against him. Her uncertainty was clear in her voice, making Rude hold her tighter.

"Trust me. If anything happens, go straight to Cosmo Canyon and call Cid to pick you up."

"Then he'll call you and you'll meet us," Tifa said. Rude nodded and kissed her forehead.

"And I'll get to you as soon as I can."

"Hopefully it won't take too long," she muttered. She smiled softly and pulled away. "We really should get this place cleaned up, they'll be here this time tomorrow."

"Of course," Rude pecked her on the lips. "You take downstairs and I'll take upstairs?"

"As always. But don't touch our room."

"Why not?"

"Because," she began, grinning, "you came in so late last night I wasn't able to give you a proper greeting for your return." Rude smiled widely in return.

--JENOVA--

Rude yawned and lay down in bed, shirtless. After spending the past seven days on a mission then ten hours cleaning, the soft mattress and warm quilt was extremely welcoming. He closed his eyes and started to drift off, but he opened his eyes again when Tifa woke him. He looked up at her and smiled.

"What's wrong with you? Are you too tired to spend time with your wife?" she teased. Tifa was wearing her favorite (though least worn) nightshirt, which was black and only reached halfway down her thighs, while the upper half barely kept her chest covered.

"Of course not. Just resting up," Rude grinned. He pulled her into bed and hugged her, kissing her gently. Tifa stretched out along his side and smiled, massaging his shoulders.

"Don't be so tense…"

"I'm not trying…" he whispered. They kissed slowly again…

_KA-BOOM!_

"AH!" Rude yelled and jumped, staring at the window with his heart pounding.

"Oh for the god's sakes," Tifa giggled. "You know, one of these days you're going to learn not to be so scared of storms."

"Not tonight… Sounds like a bad one," Rude muttered, his voice shaky. Indeed, the thunder was rolling nearly nonstop and rain pounded against the windows. The lightning illuminated the room to the point it almost looked like daytime. A moment later, the lamp in their room went out and the lightning was all that lit their room. Rude cowered under the quilt as another loud blast of thunder rumbled. Tifa giggled and slipped under the quilt with him.

"Come on, Rude," she encouraged. Tifa took a few moments to calm him down. When he was finally relaxing, Tifa kissed him gently and rubbed his chest. Rude started running a hand up her thigh when they both sat up straight. Both children were shrieking.

"Is it because of the storm?" Tifa wondered, a hint of fear to her voice. She glared teasingly at Rude. "They got it from you, you know."

"Oh, shut up," he groaned just as teasingly, slipping out of bed. "We'd better check on them." Before he went two steps towards the door, it opened and three figures stood in the doorway. The next flash of lightning revealed Denzel, Aeris, and Bao.

"Daddy!" Aeris cried. She ran up to her father and hugged him tightly around the middle. Tears were staining her cheeks. "Daddy, I'm scared!"

"I know you are, sweety," he whispered, picking her up and holding her tightly. He kissed her forehead and wiped her tears.

"Momma!" Bao yelled. He ran over to Tifa and jumped into her arms, then promptly started sucking his thumb.

"Daddy, can we sleep with you and mommy tonight?" Aeris asked sweetly. Rude smiled helplessly at Tifa.

"Of course you can. Go crawl in bed, I want to talk to Denzel a minute. I'll be right back."

"Hurry, daddy," Aeris whimpered, crawling in bed next to Tifa. Rude walked out of the room with Denzel.

"There isn't enough room for you, too. You're on your own."

"I know, I know," Denzel laughed.

"Then why did you get up? Just to bring them to us?"

"Not really… I needed to talk to you."

"What about?" Rude whispered.

"I had a vision…"

"What was it?"

"I saw Reno being shot and-"

"-Falling off the Shinra building, right? I've been having the same one."

"I also saw Marlene… She was being dragged off by guards. My vision went forward, and…" his voice caught in his throat, not wanting to say what he had seen.

"What was it? What happened to her?"

"The… the guards raped her. They took all her clothes and raped her, then left her naked in a prison cell," Denzel's voice cracked. "It won't happen, will it? I mean, I don't want her to be hurt like that."

"I know. I can't say whether it will happen or not. But I know how to find out. Call her tomorrow. It's her birthday, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Call her and talk to her. Make sure she's okay."

"Sure… It just scared me."

"I know. I had the same sort of dream about Tifa, but it hasn't come true. Not that I know of at least, and I know Tifa wouldn't hide something like that from me. Now try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah… I'll try. But don't be surprised if you find me in bed with you guys in the morning," he chuckled. He hugged Rude and went back to his room.

Rude slipped back into his room and froze at the lightning-illuminated sight. Tifa was lying on her side, her arms around their children. Aeris and Bao were hugging each other with one arm each, and their other arms were wrapped around Tifa's. The two children were crying very lightly, comforted by the warmth and security. Rude slid into bed and found Aeris immediately clinging to him. She smiled up at him and rested her forehead against his chest. Bao shifted to lie next to Aeris, taking the same position she did except against Tifa. Tifa wrapped her arm gently over her son and smiled at Rude, a few tears in her eyes.

"Well… so much for your 'welcome home celebration,'" she whispered. Rude smiled.

"I wouldn't trade this welcome for anything… even sex with you," he muttered back. He leaned over the two children and kissed Tifa again gently, then kissed both children on the head. He watched them all fall asleep, and remained awake a few minutes longer to watch them sleep peacefully. Rude finally closed his eyes and fell asleep, the thunder being a comforting drone for the first time in his life.


	3. Birthday Surprises

Here's the long-awaited chapter 3. Now we'll start seeing a bit of the plot. Also, this fic will start to follow Advent Children a little more, as it came out in the US yesterday and I've watched it twice. However, much will still be from my own mind since I've already planned certain parts and have already set up for them (ex Elena and Tseng have no place in this story, so they died in AC, etc). Enjoy people!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Birthday Surprises**

Rufus Shinra sighed to himself as he looked over the computer files. Each document was a detailed report of the Jenova Project and Jenova herself, and each document was as boring as the last, if not more so. He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes, wishing he hadn't sent Rude home two nights before. Rude was the computer master and had an actual interest in the Jenova Project, he would have been very useful now… Why did Hojo's personal computer, after ten years of sitting idle, have to finally start up one hour after he left? Reno walked in a moment later with two bottles of beer.

"Any luck, yo?" Reno asked as he gave him one of the drinks. Rufus shook his head.

"I'm really too tired to focus. You want to take over awhile?"

"Sure I guess. I won't find anything creepy, will I?" chuckled Reno a bit nervously. Rufus smirked and drank. Knowing Hojo, it was a surprise they hadn't found anything to give them nightmares yet. He choked a mere five minutes later when Reno yelped.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, reading over Reno's shoulder.

"There was another project… it had nothing to do with Sephiroth…"

"Oh my gods…" Rufus whispered. "Reno. Go get a DNA sample from him. We need to be sure… and if she's in him, we need to keep him safe from the 'remnants.'"

--J.E.N.O.V.A--

"Come _on _you two, our guests will be here any minute!" Tifa yelled up the stairs. Bao and Aeris climbed down slowly, each of them yawning.

"Momma, we're still sleepy," Aeris moaned.

"The storm kept us up!" complained Bao as the two of them sat at the table.

"You were both out within fifteen minutes of coming to our room. Now eat your lunch, hurry up. You won't be able to play with Marlene unless you do," Rude ordered. Tifa sat behind Aeris and started brushing her hair.

"I don't know what to do with it anymore, the only things that cooperate are pigtails," she complained, putting two tails in as she spoke.

"I could shave it like daddy does!" Aeris piped up. Rude snorted into his coffee.

"No, I think it looks fine as it is," giggled Tifa. She smiled at Rude; they hadn't told their kids why he was bald lest they or their friends should tease him. As brave as Rude was, he could never stand being teased about his premature balding. Both kids were suddenly wide-awake as they heard a knock on the door.

"Marlene!" Aeris yelled. She ran to the door with Bao on her heals and opened it; a moment later, Tifa and Rude heard the door slam shut. Bao ran shrieking back into the kitchen while Aeris opened the door again.

"Mommy! There's a big scary black man outside!" he cried, tears on his face. Tifa giggled and picked him up.

"That's Uncle Barret, he's not going to hurt you. Come on," she reassured him. She carried him out and found Barret standing in the hall with Aeris on his shoulder. "Hi Barret!"

"Hey Tifa! Looks like I need to come out here more often, your little boy doesn't seem to like me much," Barret laughed. Bao cringed and hid behind Tifa.

"Bao, you're a wimp!" Aeris teased. Barret set her down and hugged Tifa, pecking her cheek. Aeris dragged Bao over. "Uncle Barret, this is my annoying little brother Bao."

"So I see," Barret chuckled. He knelt on one knee and held out his hand to Bao. "Nice to meet you, My Annoying Little Brother Bao."

"It's Bao! I'm not annoying and I'm not little!" he snapped at Aeris. Barret grinned and picked him up, putting him behind his neck. "Whoa!"

"Well I'm glad to meet you, Bao."

"Where's Marlene?" Tifa asked as she looked behind Barret.

"She had to go get a few things, sell some of her dolls to the merchants here."

"Oh, I need to remember to thank her for the ones she made us."

"I like my Chocobo doll!" Aeris piped up, bouncing around Barret as they went into the kitchen. Rude looked up as Barret came in.

"Good afternoon, Wallace," he greeted, unable to manage a smile but being as friendly as he could.

"Hello, Rude one," Barret replied. Rude glared at him after the pun of his name, but remained quiet. Tifa hurried in and grabbed a mug of coffee.

"Thirsty?" she asked, shoving the mug into Barret's hands. He set Bao on the floor and sat at the table. "So how are things in Corel?"

"Just as torn apart as ever. Nobody wants to work, the place is a pile of trash. If certain Shinra personnel would put in a word for us to get help…" He looked up at Rude, his expression half pleading and half disappointed.

"Hey, I've been trying to get support for you guys," Rude replied. "We just don't have the manpower at the moment. I promise, once I can get Rufus' approval, you'll be the first to know."

"Barret, you could trust him a little more. I did marry him, after all," Tifa said, wrapping her arms around Rude and pecking him on the lips before another knock sounded on the door.

"Marlene!" Aeris yelled. She ran to the door and came back with a fourteen-year-old girl wearing a lavender dress that reached her ankles, a ribbon tying her hair back, and boots that came halfway up her calves. With the darker purple short-sleeve sweater over her dress, Tifa would have sworn she looked just like Aeris Gainesborough. The only differences were the age and eyes; Aeris had been twenty-three when she died, and while she had green eyes, this girl had light brown. Marlene grinned at Tifa.

"Hi Tifa! Hey Rude," she smiled at him a bit nervously, still a little scared from when the Turks had kidnapped her ten years earlier. Rude smiled at her and she relaxed a bit, giving each of them a large hug. "Where's Denny?"

"He's outside reading. We didn't tell him that you'd be here," Rude told her. He pointed outside and Marlene hurried to the door.

"Momma, can we go outside, too?" Aeris asked. Tifa stroked her hair.

"I think Marlene and Denzel want to spend some time alone together. You can play with her later, ok sweety?"

"Ok… Bao!" Aeris yelled. Bao was digging around in a bag Marlene had set down next to Barret.

"Bao, get out of there!" Rude commanded, picking him up around the middle and holding him upside down.

"Aw, I wanted my present!"

"Here, I'll find it," Barret offered. He pulled out two small packages from the bag and handed one to each child. "Marlene made them, I think they might be clothes. Go try them on."

"Okay, Uncle Barret!" Aeris smiled. She ran upstairs with her brother hot on her heels.

"I better go make sure Bao doesn't try to put his pants on his head again. Be back in a flash." Tifa waved and disappeared up the stairs.

"Cute kids," Barret said when she was gone. Rude nodded.

"I'm happy with them. I admit there are times I'd like nothing more than to slap them around a bit, but I love them all the same."

"Like you love Tifa," Barret added, finishing his drink. He got up, set it in the sink, and said, "That's why I've been doing my best to get along with you."

"What is it exactly that you don't like about me?" Rude inquired. "Is it my working for Shinra?"

"What gave it away?"

"Maybe the fact you attacked several reactors and kept a close eye on me when Tifa was unconscious during the Meteor Crisis and I'd go check on her," Rude shot back. He relaxed and replied, "Thanks though."

"For what?" Barret shrugged.

"Getting rid of those things. Shinra needed a little downsizing," he smirked.

"You know… It isn't really the fact you work for him. It's more the fact that even though you didn't believe in what Shinra was doing, you went with them anyway. Reeve turned against Shinra to help us. I don't see what stopped you. Other than the money of course. I imagine Shinra employees get paid quite well, judging by this house."

"It wasn't the money or the glory…" Rude replied immediately and softly.

"Then what was it?"

"Tifa never told you, did she?" When Barret shook his head, he went on, "When I entered the Turks, I did it to find the man who killed my parents. After I finally killed him, I went to the President and told him I wanted to resign… I was young and stupid then. When I tried to quit he threatened to not only kill me, but the brother I hadn't spoken to in nearly six years. I didn't stay on for my own well-being, I stayed on for his."

"So why haven't any of us met him?" Barret retaliated, as if not believing that he would have remained a Turk for another person. Rude replied quietly and slowly.

"He died when Meteor destroyed Midgar."

Barret remained silent at this. He watched Rude a moment, noticing some emotion in his eyes other than the love that was always there for Tifa and the children.

"I'm… sorry," he said slowly. Rude shrugged.

"I don't worry about it anymore. I've moved on," he said, looking up as Tifa ran down.

"More stuffed animals," she grinned. "They wanted my help deciding where to put them."

Rude smiled, then changed the subject as they moved to sit outside.

--J.E.N.O.V.A--

Denzel sat beneath a tree in the backyard, his nose in the middle of a book as usual. His ears pricked up at the sound of a twig breaking nearby, but didn't pay much mind to it.

"So you can't come in to say hello to an old friend, I see?" Marlene smiled when she stood next to him. Denzel jumped and looked up at her in surprise.

"Marlene!" He yelled. He leapt up and hugged her tightly, swinging her around. "Oh my gods, I had no idea you were coming today!"

"Good! I was hoping they wouldn't tell you," she smiled. Denzel kissed her forehead.

"Happy birthday, Marlene."

"Thanks," she whispered, blushing slightly. She grinned and said teasingly, "So, what did you get me?"

"How about," he began as he took her hand, "we take a walk? Just the two of us, right after dinner."

"That sounds great," Marlene grinned. She looked down at the book. "What were you reading?"

"History book. It's all I read anymore," Denzel chuckled. He sat back by the tree. Marlene knelt and curled her legs to her body, then rested her head on his shoulder. It was his turn to blush. "What's this?"

"Your shoulder makes a great pillow," smiled the girl. Denzel smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not seeing Rude, Tifa, or Barret on the deck.

"They're cute together," Tifa muttered. Rude wrapped his arms around her.

"Like us?" he whispered. She pecked his lips then turned back to the teens.

"We need to keep an eye on them now. Damn hormones," Barret grumbled. Tifa and Rude laughed.

"Denzel's mature enough not to do anything, don't worry," Rude assured him. Barret shrugged.

"You never can tell anymore."

"It's scary how… Rude are you okay?" Tifa asked worriedly. Rude had shut his eyes tightly and let out a whimper of pain, his hand to his forehead. He blinked a couple of times then shook his head clear.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Just a shot of a headache."

"Blood pressure medicine oughta clear that right up," Barret suggested. Rude rolled his eyes.

"It's not my blood pressure."

"It wasn't a vision, was it? Not in the daytime?" Tifa wondered aloud.

"'Vision?' Whaddya mean, 'vision?'" Barret asked. Rude quietly told him about the dreams he'd had. Indeed, the headache he just got occurred as he saw himself looking into, then smashing, a mirror, and giving something to Reno to take to Rufus.

"Weird," Barret shrugged. "But you're probably looking too much into it."

"I hope so…" Rude trailed off, looking up as the two kids came running out.

"Marlene! Play with us!" they cried. Marlene giggled and got up, joining the kids. A little while later, Rude was out playing tag with them. Barret and Tifa watched them and laughed as Rude was tagged then fell over onto his son and wrestled a moment before Marlene, Denzel, Aeris, and Bao ganged up on him.

"You know, I don't like him-"

"I know Barret, you've told me many times," Tifa groaned as she grilled their dinner.

"Let me finish. I don't like him, but I still respect him. He's taken good care of you and those kids. And he told me about his brother today. From what you said about his parents, he's led a hard life. I respect him for how much he's been able to handle. Then the baby…"

"Please, let's not talk about that," Tifa requested quietly. "I still haven't been able to let that go very easily…"

"Sorry, Tifa…" he muttered. "I forgot how hard that was on the two of you. But you've still got the two healthy kids."

"You're right… I'm grateful for them. Hey!" She yelled, "Dinner's ready! Last person here goes to bed hungrier than the rest of us!"

--J.E.N.O.V.A--

"This way," Denzel said. He leapt nimbly from ledge to ledge, pausing at each to help Marlene. She paused at one to catch her breath.

"Wait up! I'm full of that Chocobo Tifa grilled and the cake she insisted on having. I feel fat!"

"Trust me, you're far from it," he assured her. They finished climbing the mountain quickly after that. "Now close your eyes and sit right here. That's it. Now… open them."

Marlene opened her eyes and gasped. On the western horizon, she could see a strip of ocean. Behind it, the sun was setting slowly, bathing the land and sky in a blood red, orange, pink, and violet glow. Denzel sat down next to her and intertwined his fingers with hers gently as he took her hand.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I come up here all the time. To be honest… I think of you a lot when I come here. That's why I wanted to bring you here today."

"Denzel… This is great. Thank you so much," she grinned, kissing him on the cheek. Denzel smiled and looked at her.

"I have something else for you."

"What?" Marlene grinned eagerly. Denzel hesitated.

"Marlene… You know, you got really pretty since we met. And we've stayed such close friends, I…" he suddenly found his voice caught in his throat. Instead of trying to speak, he finally leaned over and kissed her briefly on the lips. When he was finally able to speak, he looked at her blushing face and whispered, "I love you, Marlene."

"Denzel…" she whispered. He turned away.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what I'm doing I've never done this before."

"Denzel," she said again, pulling his face to her again. "I love you, too… Can we… kiss again…?" With a smile, he kissed her once more.

--J.E.N.O.V.A--

"Daddy, can't we stay up and say goodnight to Marlene and Denzel?" Aeris whined as she curled up in her father's lap. Rude smiled and stroked her hair.

"I'll give you another hour, ok? But the minute you start yawning, you're going straight to bed."

"You give those kids too much leeway," Barret told him. Rude shrugged.

"She's probably the only little girl I'm going to have, I'm allowed to spoil her."

"I know how that is, I'm just giving you shit," he chuckled with a wave of his hand. Tifa walked in and swatted Barret's head.

"Stop cussing around my children."

"Well excuse me!"

"Papa, we're back!" Marlene called from the hall. She and Denzel walked in hand-in-hand.

"Well you took your time," Barret scolded. "Three hours?"

"We didn't do anything, you want to go check her?" Denzel snapped back teasingly, resulting in the girl's deep blush. Aeris ran up and hugged them both.

"Goodnight!"

"Nigh'!" Bao yawned. Marlene hugged them both.

"Goodnight you two."

"I'll be back shortly," Rude announced, picking up both kids and taking them upstairs.

"Papa? Can I sleep in Denny's room?" Marlene asked. Barret choked on his tea. "Not like that! We'll leave the door open and everything. I'll even sleep on the floor-"

"No you won't, you're a guest. I'll sleep on the floor" Denzel interjected.

"Whatever…" she muttered. "Please, papa?"

"Well…" Barret fought an inner battle for a moment, then sighed. "One yell or moan from that room and we're going straight back to Corel."

"Thank you papa!" Marlene yelled. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek before heading upstairs with Denzel.

"What have I done…?" Barret muttered.

"Made your daughter happy, that's what." Tifa laughed and sat next to him. A moment later, her expression was serious. "Why did you come out here? It wasn't just for Marlene's birthday."

"What, I can't just come out to see you guys?" Barret smiled, but Tifa continued looking at him seriously. He sighed. "I heard something the other day. Come outside," he insisted. They stepped out on the deck and Barret continued quietly. "You know Vincent and Yuffie have been moving around since he made her a vampire."

"Yes, how are they? I haven't spoken to them since they came to see Bao when he was born."

"They're both doing fine, about to have a baby themselves."

"That's wonderful!" Tifa gasped, clapping her hands together. She settled down when Barret seemed less than thrilled. "But that's not what you came to tell me."

"No, it's not. They called the other day to tell me that they'd been to the Forgotten City. The weapons are gone."

"What?" Tifa gasped, a hand to her mouth. "How could they be? We hid them from sight!"

"I don't know. But Vincent said he scoured the area, there were no tracks anywhere, nor were there any remnants."

"So they weren't moved recently…"

"Vincent said he couldn't smell any trace of a living thing being nearby. He thinks they're still alive," he whispered. Tifa shook a little and sat in a lawn chair. "He said he thought he saw Louse or Loose or whatever the hells his name was down in the Bone Village a few days later."

"Loz… But how can this be? We killed all three of them… You're sure Vincent saw him?"

"Loz saw Vincent looking at him and ran. Vincent didn't give chase though, he didn't want to make a scene."

"This is impossible…"

"Tifa," Barret said slowly, "I heard that the Turks are looking into something dealing with the Geostigma incident. Do you know if Rude's…?"

"No, he won't tell me anything he does."

"Then things are even worse for you. If they're alive, they'll go after Shinra first. You're in danger as long as you're with Rude. I want to bring you, your children, and Denzel back to Corel."

"I'm not leaving him," she whispered, looking up at Barret. "We faced them before, we can do it again."

"Tifa, please? You're one of my best friends, I'm not going to let you get hurt because of him."

"I promise, I can take care of myself. I love Rude, I'm not going to leave him to fend for himself while I save my own life. Please, don't worry about me. But do warn the others. Tell them to keep their eyes open."

"I already did," he said quietly. Tifa hugged and reassured him quietly a few more times before Rude came out to join them.  
"Barret, you'll be happy to know I peeked in on Marlene and Denzel."

"And?" Barret snapped, wanting to know.

"Denzel's got his pants on and laying on top of the blankets, and Marlene's curled up under them. Denzel's got his arm around her and was kissing her forehead but that's all. Hells, she's already sleeping."

Barret went to bed feeling very foolish that night, though his sleep was easy. Tifa, on the other hand, now had other things to worry about.


End file.
